Methodology and approach
Consultation
A 12-week public consultation on the draft outcomes of the Review took place between 28 November 2024 and 21 February 2025.
During this period, the public and stakeholders were invited to share their views on the draft outcomes of the Review using an online feedback survey. They could also email their comments to a dedicated project mailbox.
Alongside the online feedback survey, a website known as a StoryMap was published, which detailed information relating to the assessments, process and the draft outcomes of the Review. A dedicated Transport Scotland webpage was also updated with details of the assessment and links to the Review publications. The A96 Corridor Review StoryMap and Transport Scotland webpage are available online and a PDF copy of the full StoryMap is in Appendix A.
A total of 1,441 responses were received during the consultation period; 1,409 received through the online feedback survey and 32 received by email (including a scanned copy of a written letter, forwarded onto the project mailbox). The StoryMap received approximately 6000 visits during the consultation period.
A few email responses were received from stakeholders, which have been analysed separately and are in Section 3.2 , the remaining additional feedback via email and letter is in Section 5.2.
The analysis of consultation feedback is in Sections 3, 4 and 5.
Publicity and Promotion
A range of promotion methods was used to notify/inform the public and stakeholders of the publication of the draft outcomes, including:
press and media coverage (news releases)
social media
information posters
stakeholder engagement
print media notice (draft Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) Report)
online consultation information (including the online feedback survey and StoryMap)
All advertising and promotion materials are in Appendix B.
Press and media coverage (news releases)
In parallel with the publication of the Review draft outcomes, a news release was issued to national, local and trade press. A copy of the news release, which was also published on Transport Scotland’s website, is in Appendix B1 .
Social media
Transport Scotland’s social media platforms on Facebook, X (formerly known as Twitter) and Instagram were used to advertise the publication of the draft Review outcomes and promote the consultation period. Examples of posts from the social media campaign are in Appendix B2.
Information posters
Posters promoting the consultation and explaining how to provide feedback were distributed in print to businesses and venues along the corridor, including commercial and retail spaces, public buildings and recreational facilities. Digital copies were also issued to all community councils along the corridor. While recipients were encouraged to display it throughout the 12-week consultation period, there was no obligation to do so. A copy of the poster is in Appendix B3 , and a full list of recipients of the information poster is in Appendix C .
Stakeholder engagement
A stakeholder mapping exercise was completed prior to the launch of the consultation to identify a list of stakeholders, communities, organisations, action groups, businesses, and interested parties. This was based on a mapping exercise conducted for the previous round of consultation undertaken in 2022, along with any additions identified in the period since.
The stakeholder mapping exercise identified the list of stakeholders in the following categories:
Elected representatives of constituencies and wards within the Review study area including MPs, MSPs and councillors.
Council leaders and executives – Chief Executives and Leaders of the four local councils (The Highland Council, Moray Council, Aberdeenshire Council and Aberdeen City Council).
A96 Corridor Transport Working Groups – regional transport partnerships HITRANS and Nestrans and the relevant officers from the four local councils (The Highland Council, Moray Council, Aberdeenshire Council and Aberdeen City Council).
Statutory environmental bodies – NatureScot, Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) and Historic Environment Scotland (HES) as well as environmental planners from four local councils (The Highland Council, Moray Council, Aberdeenshire Council and Aberdeen City Council).
Environmental bodies - non-statutory environmental bodies who have an interest in the local wildlife, biodiversity and environment along the A96 corridor.
Active travel and accessibility groups – stakeholders who have an interest in non-motorised travel and disability access across the A96 corridor.
Community Planning Partnerships.
Businesses - businesses, utility companies, transport operators and emergency service organisations that were identified as having an interest in the Review.
Community Councils.
A tailored engagement exercise was undertaken to notify stakeholders within the categories outlined above of the publication of the draft Review outcomes and the launch of the consultation. Each stakeholder received a letter, issued via email, containing the consultation end date and links to the StoryMap. Stakeholders identified as those who would benefit from a briefing on the draft outcomes of the Review in greater detail were invited to a series of stakeholder briefing sessions conducted during the consultation period. More information regarding these briefings are in Section 3 .
A copy of the letter issued to recipients is in Appendix D. A full list of stakeholders who received a notification letter at the launch of consultation is in Appendix E.
Print media notice (draft Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) Report)
As part of a separate requirement to consult statutory environmental stakeholders on the outcomes of the draft SEA, a notice advertising the launch of the statutory SEA consultation period was prepared. This notice was placed in the following print media publications :
Edinburgh Gazette
Press and Journal
A copy of the draft SEA consultation notice is in Appendix F.
Online consultation information
To reach a wider audience, an website , known as a StoryMap, was published, providing details of the project background, previous consultation, how the Review was undertaken and a summary of the draft outcomes. A dedicated Transport Scotland webpage was also updated with details of the assessment and links to the Review publications. This also included links to the online feedback survey and the project email address, for providing feedback.
A screenshot of the landing page of the StoryMap is in Figure 2.1 .
A PDF copy of the online StoryMap is in Appendix A .
Online Feedback Survey
The primary method to respond to the consultation was through a feedback survey which was hosted online, with hard copies available on request throughout the consultation period. For more information regarding the contents of the survey, please refer to Section 4.
Other Response Channels
Members of the public could also contact the Review team by email, telephone or post. The project email inbox was monitored throughout the consultation period, and all additional feedback received, including emails, was logged and analysed (see Section 5 ). For a summary of stakeholder feedback including that received by email, see Section 3.2 .